“Gotham City” signals a new movement fighting the ‘urban growth machine’
As a longtime observer of New York politics, journalist Juan González could easily have written a book focusing solely on how Bill de Blasio, a relatively unknown politician, won a surprising victory in that city’s 2013 mayoral elections.
Instead, González broadened the scope of his exploration to show how de Blasio represents the most visible example among a new generation of young, progressive leaders who have cropped up in San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston and other cities across the nation.
These new grassroots politicians offer hope for those who oppose the “urban growth machine” that, until now, has freely pushed development under the philosophy that land decisions should be based on the ability to yield profit, rather than public benefit.